On the other side of things, if you have a reactive dog, know that when they are reacting, there is nothing you can do to help them.

“When reactive dogs are in that state of reacting to another dog, they are in a state of fight or flight which scientifically means they are physically incapable of listening to cues and known behaviours,” Koncek said.

Get out of there.

“If you have a reactive dog they probably shouldn’t be off leash at all even if you think you are not going to run into someone,” she said.

In the end you should be avoiding things that trigger your dogs reactivity, there are plenty of places you can go for a quiet walk outside of town, Koncek said.

“We as a society are creating this problem with our dogs by forcing them to be in this situation,” she said.

Your dog does not want or need to go everywhere with you. A dog won’t get better if they are continually exposed to the thing that upsets them, Koncek explained. That’s how reactivity starts and gets worse.

“Just live your own life with your dog,” she said.

All dog owners should also be careful of over-arousal. If a dog gets too worked up, they will look for a way to get rid of that energy or stress and can become unpredictable.

One of Koncek’s clients recently had her two dogs attack each other after being restrained and unable to get where they wanted to go. They had never fought before.

In a class Koncek is taking the instructor gave another example of a trio of dogs playing behind a fence who ended up knocking it down to run after and maul a child who rode by on a bicycle. The dogs had no history of aggression.

“The reality is, dogs are dogs and they are instinctive,” Koncek said.

And because of that they are unpredictable, no matter how well trained they are. The most reliable way to keep them safe? Have them on a leash, Koncek said.